Radio equipment



April 1940- R. E. WOLAVER 2, 7,

RADIO EQUIPMENT Filed llarch 9, 1936 floacoellifofzilqr INVENT OR.

BY fifig ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 16, 1940 PATENT. OFFICE RADIO EQUIPMENT Roscoe E. Wolaver, Hillsboro, Tex., assignor of one-fourth to Jerry E. Clarke, Hillsboro, Tex,, and one-fourth to Ernest A. Wood, Dallas, Tex.

Application March 9, 1936, Serial No. 67,791

3 Claims.

This invention relates to radio equipment, and it has particular reference to antennae installations. i v

The principal object of the invention is to provide an antenna so designed that it may be arranged for radio reception in zones normally shielded from radio waves, and it especially anticipates any type of radio antenna designed for installation in or on glass panes for windows, doors or other openings. The invention particularly aims to provide radio antennae for the glass in automobile Windshields, doors and windows.

The invention aims in its provisions to obviate the necessity of placing an antenna in unshielded locations such as under the running boards and like places where they have heretofore been subjected to the deleterious action of mud, water and other disturbing influences, resulting in poor reception. In recent automobile construction the provision of steel tops precludes the use of roof aerials, due to the shielding action of the steel.

Broadly, the invention anticipates the installation of radio antenna in structural glass in such manner that a radio receiver may readily be connected therewith for optimum results in reception.

With the foregoing objects as paramount, the invention has particular reference to its salient features of construction and arrangement of parts, to become manifest as the description proceeds, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view of the front portion of a vehicle showing its windshield equipped with the invention,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of shatter-proof glass showing one form of installation of the invention,

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing an antenna embedded in a solid glass pane,

Figure 4 is a further modified form in which the antenna is shown embracing the edge of a glass pane,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view of a further modified form of the invention in cross section showing a pane having a fluted edge for receiving an antenna wire and Figure 6 is an example in fragmentary perspective of still another modified form showing the manner in which an antenna is inlaid in the surface of a glass pane.

Continuing with a more detailed description of the drawing, reference is primarily made to Figure l in which I designates the exterior walls and top of a vehicle. In recent construction of automobiles, steel is commonly employed as a material for top construction as a safety factor. Prior to this innovation, radio antennae could be and was installed in the top of the vehicle as the most practical location therefor. t

Referring further to Figure l, the numeral 2 designates the instrument 1 panel, and in some cases the radio receiving set 3 may be conveniently disposed behind this panel, with the speaker 4 mounted in some suitable location in the body of the vehicle.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is as 'shown in Figures 1 and 2. The windshield 5 in this case is of shatter-proof construction as shown in Figure2, i. e., with glass panes 6 disposed on either side of the flexible, transparent medium 1. This" construction is commonly known, and it is therefor considered unnecessary to enter into. a detaileddescription of the. man ner of construction.

It is preferred that the antenna 8 be constructed of a ribbon of thin gage metal, such as phosphor-bronze, and interposed between the glass panes 6 a predetermined distance from the edge thereof. This has an ornamental as well as a utilitarian value, affording as it does a paneling effect without interfering with proper vision.

In this form of construction, the Celluloid or other medium 1, one of the elements of the pane construction, is terminated short of the edges of the glass panes 6 to provide space for the inclusion of the metallic-ribbon 8. The space between the outer edge of the ribbon 8 and glass panes 6 may be filled with Celluloid strips or a transparent, self hardening composition. It is preferred that the ends of the ribbon 8 terminate short of each other, as shown in Figure 1, at the lower portion of the windshield 5. To one end of the ribbon is suitably connected a binding post 10 and to which in turn is connected a flexible lead H This lead is connected to the radio receiving set 3 in a manner conventional to radio practice.

Experiments have proven the effectiveness of other forms of application of an antenna to glass of both shatter-proof and solid pane construction. In this connection reference is made to Figure 3 in which the solid pane l2, fragmentarily shown, has embedded therein a wire or aplurality of wires 83, spirally arranged and having a connection, such as shown in Figure 1, to the receiving set.

In Figure 4 is shown an example of the manner in which an antenna wire I4 is arranged upon the exterior surface of a pane, preferably to embrace the edges of a solid glass pane !5 without initially preparing the glass. The edges of the pane l5 are treated with the self-hardening composition It and the antenna wire I4 is embeddedthereinwhile the composition is in a plastic state which will later harden and thereby firmly bind the antenna to the glass. Obviously, a flexible lead such as shown in Figure 1 may be connected at some point to the wire i l-and to the receiving set.

Figure 5 is similar to Figure 4 but shows a slightly modified manner of connecting an antenna wire I! to a solid glass pane l8 by first fluting the edges of the pane l8 at a to provide a groove for the reception of the wire IT. The portion of the groove not occupied by the wire I! is filled with the self-hardening composition l9. Connection is made to the radio receiving set in a manner similar to that described in the preceding instances and as illustrated in Figure 1.

In some cases, especially where it is desired to install an antenna in solid glass panes already serving as Windshields or the like, the example shown in Figure 6 -may be resorted to. In this connection, a channel orgroove b is formed in the surface of the pane 20, preferably spaced from the edge thereof and of such width and depth as to accommodate a metallic strip or ribbon 2| of the required or desired width and thickness. This'strip is placed within the said groove or channel b and secured permanently therein by means of a self-hardening composition or transparent cement 22.

The flexible lead 23 may be connected to the metallic strip 21 in several different ways but it is preferred that the composition 22 be drilled out so that the terminal of lead 23 will contact the antenna strip 2 I. This lead 23 may be afiixed by filling the aperture around the lead with a suitable self-hardening material 24.

The foregoing description deals with the instal 'lation of a radio receiving antenna, but it is obvious that the same type of installation may be adapted for transmitting antennae.

Manifestly, the construction shown is capable of considerable modification and such modification as is considered within the scope and meaning of the appended claims is also considered within the spirit and intent of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A new article of manufacture, in combination with a transparent windshield constructed of plates of glass with an intermediate layer of transparent plastic in contiguous relationship with said plates of glass, said plastic terminating short of the edges of said glass plates, a radio antenna comprising a metallic ribbon of broken continuity, also interposed between said glass plates and lying in the space not filled by said transparent plastic and means for connecting the circuit of a radio receiving set to said antenna.

2. An article of manufacturing, consisting of a plate of glass, with a conductor disposed between the lateral surfaces and proximate the edges thereof to be out of the normal line of vision, the conductor being provided with a terminal connector to permit a connection to be made to an external radio receiving circuit, the conductor thereby serving as an antenna.

3. In combination with a radio apparatus mounted on a vehicle having a glass window bounded by edges and two lateral surfaces, a metallic conductor carried by said glass between the edges and the lateral surfaces and proximate the edges, said conductor having a terminal connector leading out of the said window for connection to said radio apparatus.

ROSCOEK E. WOLAVER. 

